HOW TO PICK A MOTORCYCLE CAMPING SPOT
- Crystal
- May 3
- 10 min read
Updated: May 4
MAY 3, 2025
Congratulations! You decided to be a moto hobo! For however long or short this adventure may be, this article is meant to help you decide how to pick a motorcycle camping spot. This blurb will apply to both paid and wild camping spots. I've motocamped across the United States, Europe, Morocco and Turkey in all seasons so can share my experience with those interested in getting out there!
So you have your motorcycle, outdoor gear and want to experience the great outdoors on two wheels for the first time! You will need to think about if you will pay for a camping site, go wild camping, or a mix of both. Wherever you are in world, here are some things to consider.
1. Laws and Regulations:
Let's get the serious things out of the way first. Is wild camping allowed where you are going? Each country and jurisdiction has their own rules about whether they allow wild camping. Research beforehand so you have an idea of what to expect. I'm saying do what I say, not do what I do, but I never really researched which countries allowed it, I just did it. It's not like I would camp in the middle of Rome or in front of a supermarket...
Research what the fines and punishments are. Usually police will just make you pack up and leave. Othertimes you may pay a fine. You have to ask yourself if the reward is worth the risk. I met a traveler who wild camped in a field and was woken up by a woman with a knife angrily telling him to leave. He ran away and left part of his tent behind. I met another traveler where the campers were fined 500 Euros by police. Nothing serious has ever happened to me, so camp at your own risk.
So you've done your research and decide to wild camp. How tolerable are locals to wild camping? The laws may say one thing, but towns and villages may have another outlook. In my experience, most are happy to welcome tourists who pump money into their economy. The idea of asking for permission can be hit or miss. I always go the route of asking for forgiveness if I'm not able to talk to a local before I settle in for the night. If I chat it up with someone friendly, then I'll ask if it's safe and okay for me to camp in the region. 99% of the time, it's a yes.
2. Assess Danger:
Mines:
Check if there are any mines in the country. Countries like Bosnia and Herzegovina do not allow wild camping because they have a major landmine issue. I definitely recommend paying for a campsite in this case.
War:
Some countries have wars and conflicts in certain regions, not the entire country, so it's best to ask a local or police for the latest news and advice.
Wild Animals:
Do some research and see what kind of wild animals are in the area. Countries like Morocco don't have issues with wild animals as their last wild Barbary Lion was killed in 1942. Romania, however has a large brown bear population and locals have warned me not to wildcamp. I followed their advice as bears are not something I'd like to experience defending against alone. However, when I was riding across the United States and wanted to camp in Utah, I did receive a warning that there were mountain lions in the area and was told not to camp. I did it anyways without a tent and just slept under my mosquito net. I'm happy to be alive.
Paid camping spots mitigate almost all dangers as there is typically security like locked gates, cameras, or a receptionist to ask for help. It's a safe option to dip a toe into the moto camping life to build and gain confidence.
3. Paid Camping Vs. Wild Camping
There are pros and cons to both! I think it's good to experience what a paid camping site is like if you've never went motorcycle camping before. There are many benefits to paid camping sites. Paid camping sites have services available like: restaurants, restrooms, water, electricity, wifi, trash cans, sometimes a kitchen, benches, tables, a designated campfire pit and activities. This way you can practice setting up your tent without have to lug around as much food, water, portable chargers, cooking equipment, a camping chair and so much other equipment versus if you wild camped.
I prefer to wild camp. I opt not to go to paid camping sites because it's too easy. One of the best feelings is searching for the perfect camping site with an amazing view and knowing you have it all to yourself. I also refuse to pay to sleep on the ground. In certain cases where I'm absolutely depleted and want the day to be over, I will pay for a camping site, but it's pretty rare. Sometimes when I get to new country and am still getting my bearings, I pay for a camp site to gain confidence before I set off on my own. I still use it as a confidence builder even after almost 4 years on the road. The thing is wild camping spots have no services so you are completely self sufficient and need to pack it in, pack it out.
4. Using Apps to Find a Motorcycle Camping Spot
I use the apps Park4Night and iOverlander (the legacy version, not 2.0) to see what previous travelers have used. No need to reinvent the wheel when you're exhausted and just want to set up camp. There are also paid camping sites listed on these apps, as well as RV parks that accept motorcycles. To find the perfect picturesque camping spot, it takes some time as you are reading through all the reviews and weighing out the scenic views, ground condition, services, distance, etc.
Park4Night actually isn't intended for motorcycle travelers. I emailed Park4Night asking to add a motorcycle icon and they responded saying the app isn't intended to be used for wild camping with tents because there are different regulations than with RVs. Fair enough, but I still use it anyways.
I also use Bunk-a-Biker. If you are familiar with Couchsurfing (for all travelers) or Warmshowers (for bicyclists), Bunk-a-Biker is the motorcycle version. It's not an app and the interface is a bit antiquated, and people don't really respond to my last minute requests, but it's a great way to meet other motorcycle enthusiasts. There are different tiers of help and hosting based on the color pin on the world map. Some people like a few weeks notice in advance, some a few days. Bunk-a-Biker doesn't really work for my lifestyle because I only know the same day where I'll be and literally a few hours ahead of where I'm staying that night, so I didn't expect hosts to be so adaptable to me last minute.
If there's nothing in my area on the apps, I look for green areas on Google Maps like forests or mountains and head towards the nearest one. There are many others, but these are what I use internationally.
4. Find a Motorcycle Wild Camping Spot in Nature without Apps
If not using apps, it's best to start searching for a camping spot an hour or two before sunset. It's easier to find a camping spot when there's daylight verus in the dark. Back roads in the mountains have turnouts, farm land has tractor trails that have dead ends, trails on hills usually lead to nowhere --all end up being great potential motorcycle camping spots. You can also ask permission to land owners if you can set up your tent, they are more than likely to say yes. If going into the forest, I like to go deep enough that I'll be hidden, but not so deep in that if my bike doesn't start, I can still push it out. If you have a hammock, you'll look for trees.
5. Find a Motorcycle Wild Camping Spot in Society
Not all camping spots are beautiful camping spots. As much as I wanted every camping spot on my journey to be breathtaking and making me ponder the glory of life, you're not always going to get so lucky. Sometimes you will need to settle for a gas station parking lot or the dirt patch on the side of the road. I've camped a few times in public parks in cities just because I wanted real food the next day. Don't worry, these humbling spots make good stories for the life of a moto hobo.
When I was riding the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland, the route is pretty developed and there are towns and villages within a few kilometers. It's tough to find the picture perfect isolated camping spot unless you want to add another hour to your long day. I only had a 3 season tent that was no match for Ireland's random thunderstorms and I quickly learned camping on grass would speed up the reverse osmosis process of rain getting inside my tent while I was sleeping. From this experience, I decided camping on sloped parking lots and paved trailheads of hikes helped the rain flow away from me and not form a puddle inside my tent. This made for a better experience as I chose not waking up in a swimming pool and camped in parking lots. However the trade off was less picturesque views.
6. Things to Consider when Picking A Motorcycle Camping Spot
Weather
What season or climate will you be camping in? I recommend checking the weather to see if it'll be sunny. If so, you'll want to search for tree cover. If it is colder, you may not want a tree as you'd like to maximize the warmth of the sunlight as much as possible. Will it be raining or windy? If raining, some parks may have built structures you can set up under to protect your bike and yourself from the elements.
Trees
I look for trees when picking a motorcycle camping spot. A nice fluffy tree provides shade cover in the morning so you can get a few more hours of sleep instead of being woken up by the sun at 5am. Trees also provide wind cover and their branches provide natural hanging spots for your stinky gear and bags while you arrange things. Like most motorcyclists, I have a fear of my bike getting stolen, so want both my motorcycle and tent to be hidden as much as possible. I'll usually ride around until I find a nice tree as they can provide a good hiding spot as well.
Wind
I don't like to be exposed on flat plains because of brush and trees provide wind cover. The absence of these means it will be windy. There's nothing more annoying than being exhausted after a long riding day and the wind keeping you awake throughout the night. But if the view is good enough, I'll tolerate it for the night. If I'm in for a windy night, I use the app "Windy" to see how long it will last and how long to cry in my tent for.
When looking for a tree, pick one that is alive and strong and doesn't have dead branches. We don't want you getting squished in the middle of the night. If it's going to be rainy or windy, some of these branches might break, so it's something to keep in mind as well.
Water
Camping by a river or lake sounds perfect, right? You have a water source and can be one with nature. Well, in actuality, it's not the best motorcycle camping spot in my opinion. I don't favor camping by water because it attracts mosquitos. If offroading, the trail to get to water is also typically sloped, rocky, or sandy so it's difficult to park a bike on incline and the ground might not be stable. Sloped and bumpy ground is also not the most comfortable to sleep on. Likewise, since there are no services while wild camping, human waste should be buried 6-8 inches/ .15-.20 centimeters deep and 200 feet/ 60 meters away from a water source. Some people enjoy falling asleep to the sound of water, but I'm not able to as it is a constant sound and it prevents me from hearing if someone else is approaching. I camp alone so need to be aware and listen to my surroundings, which leads me to my next point.
Safety
I always bring a chain lock for my bike, and it's best to be able to lock it to something, but you don't always have that luxury when wild camping. As an alternative, I also have an alarmed disc lock. This way I can be woken up if someone messes with my bike in the middle of the night. Nothing has ever happened to my bike in the wilderness, but the disc alarm definitely saved my Honda Dominator in Cork, Ireland when 2 hooded thieves tried to steal her in the middle of the night. Most crimes happen in big cities in my experience.
Know When It's Time to Move
Listen to your gut. This is your sixth sense talking. If a place doesn't feel good at any time, pack up and leave. This can come in the form of a tingly feeling, maybe too many eyes on you while you're turning on the dirt road, or maybe a too close for comfort stranger asking too many questions. It's better to have a good nights sleep rather than having a feeling eating at your stomach and you being worried all night.
I was camping in Morocco and if you've ever visited, there are pesky people constantly harassing you to pay for parking, even motorcycles. I was wild camping at Barrage El Mansour Eddahbi, a reservoir and after I was set up and in my sleeping bag, at 11pm, a parking attendant (I'm assuming fake) starting watching a football match and playing loud music outside my tent for about 30 minutes. I didn't want him to know I was a woman camping alone, so I waited for him to leave. Those 30 minutes were very tense for me as I didn't know if it was going to turn into a situation. After he left, I chose to stay because I was so exhausted and there were other RV campers close by in case anything happened. The next morning, I was asleep in my tent and he showed up again. I chose to stay in my tent again until he left. I still did not want the harassment of being female and alone, day or night. Luckily he left. In retrospect, I should have moved spots further away to avoid the second interaction.
7. Leave No Trace
So you found the perfect camping spot. It has the best view, flat parking, you may even have a tree or two. Now what? I believe we need to leave people and places better than when we found them. Basically try not to disturb wildlife and the surrounding area with your influence and anything you take in, bring it back out. That includes trash and even picking up trash from previous campers that may have left some. You can read about the Leave No Trace principles here.
When following these principles, we can preserve nature's beauty. I've found the most amazing campsites In Turkey, but when I arrived, there was not one spot that I could set up my tent that was clear of trash. There were beer bottles, diapers, hundreds of baby wipes, and thousands of cigarette butts. It was disheartening and depressing and I left.
Final Thoughts
With all these things in mind, you are now equipped to pick a great motorcycle camping spot! Go forth fellow moto hobo, have a great adventure and leave no trace!
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